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BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun
after the Battle of North Cape |origin= UK |type= Naval gun |is_ranged=YES |is_bladed= |is_explosive= |is_artillery=YES |is_vehicle= |is_UK=YES |service=1940-1945 |used_by=UK |wars= |designer= |design_date=1937 |manufacturer= |production_date= |number=78 |variants= |weight= |length= |part_length= bore (45 calibres) |width= |height= |crew= |cartridge= |caliber= |action= |rate= 2 rounds per minute |velocity= Standard Charge: (25% wear), (new gun)With cordite. |range= |max_range= at 40.7° (25% wear) or at 40° with new linings |feed= |sights= |breech= |recoil= |carriage= |elevation=Naval: 40° Coastal: 45° |traverse= |diameter= |filling= |filling_weight= |detonation= |yield= }} The 'BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun'Mk VII = Mark 7. Britain used Roman numerals to denote Marks (models) of ordnance until after World War II. This was the seventh model of BL 14-inch naval gun. was designed for the battleships of the Royal Navy in the late 1930s. This gun armed the battleships during the Second World War. Background The choice of calibre was limited by the Second London Naval Treaty, an extension of the Washington Naval Treaty which set limits on the size armament and number of battleships constructed by the major powers. After disappointing experiences with the combination of high velocity but relatively light shell in the BL 16 inch /45 naval gun of the s, the British reverted to the combination of lower velocities and (relatively) heavier shells in this weapon. Design These built-up guns were constructed using a non wire wound radial expansion design which was an advance on previous British practice with a longer barrel life and better accuracy. Unfortunately, the choice of mountings was for quadruple turrets, and in practice these developed a reputation as being unreliable with the turrets jamming during battle. However, it has been argued that these jams were typically caused by errors in drill, either due to lack of gun crew training, as was the case when the newly commissioned engaged the in the Battle of the Denmark Strait (1941), or due to crew fatigue resulting from the prolonged nature of the engagement, as was the case when engaged Bismarck in 1941, and engaged in the Battle of North Cape (1943). Coastal guns Main article Cross-Channel guns in the Second World War. near Dover, March 1941]] Two guns, nicknamed Winnie and Pooh, were also mounted in World War II as coastal artillery near Dover to engage German batteries across the Channel in occupied France. Armour penetration * Penetration: belt 668 mm/0 m; 396 mm/9,144 m; 335 mm/13,716 m; 285 mm/22,860 m; decks 29 mm/9,144 m; 50 mm/13,716 m; 73 mm/18,288 m; 102 mm/22,860 m; 121 mm/25,603 m(4.74 in/28,000 yards) Surviving example File:BL 14 inch Mk VII naval gun fort nelson.JPG| On display at Fort Nelson File:British 14in Naval Gun Breech Detail.png| Breech detail See also * List of naval guns Notes References * Page from Nav weapons.com External links * Video : "Winnie" firing, Dover, 1941 * Movie clip of RN 14" gun loading and firing procedure (NOTE : external sequences are of different guns) Category:Naval guns of the United Kingdom Category:World War II naval weapons of the United Kingdom Category:356 mm artillery